Football Sri Lanka (FSL) president Jaswar Umar affirmed that he is willing to make bold decisions to usher in a new era for football in the country despite taking charge during challenging times. He deftly parried criticism that he is behaving like a dictator and strutting around like a politician since being elected to head FSL in June by putting his detractors like Dr. Manil Fernando in place.
“Let me do my work because I am running the show. I can’t do what he (Dr. Fernando) wants. I will do what I want,” Jaswar said defiantly.
He is ready to face an election although he has sought time from the Sports Ministry to amend the FSL Constitution in line with the statute of the world body governing the sport FIFA.
The Sports Ministry’s Department of Sports Development (DSD) which is the umbrella organization for all national sports associations had issued a directive that FSL should hold their annual general meeting to elect office-bearers before May 31.
Jaswar got the approval of 53 leagues at an FSL Council meeting in Jaffna in February to extend his term of office by four years citing an amendment in their Constitution and regulation in the Sports Law even though the last election was agreed for a one-year term.
Although all parties had wanted office-bearers to be elected for four years last time, the Sports Ministry decreed that they could serve only for one year. Jaswar provided documentary proof of FSL Constitutional amendments which saw his predecessor Anura de Silva being elected for four years in 2017.
“They have not seen this previous amendment or maybe it was not given to the authorities to review or it was an oversight. But after the election was called, the Ministry said the process of changing to four years was not properly done. They pointed out errors in the amendment by the previous administration. When we showed (DSD) the approval we had, they were surprised to see all this. They did not have it in their records. Since there was a dispute they have to consult the AG’s (Attorney General) opinion which is a long process,” he explained.
“I told them I am happy to go for an election. If I have the mandate of the people I will win. If I lose, I will go home. There is no problem,” he declared.
He has requested time from the Ministry to amend the Constitution which has been sent to the relevant authorities for approval.
“Since there is a timeline for this and calling for nominations, I have asked for about three months. Anyway, the last AGM was not held before May 31. It can be extended under the circumstances,” he said.
The key amendments to the Constitution will contain separation of powers between the executive and the judicial administration. “Primary who is doing what and who has authority to do what. Responsibility and accountability are embedded,” he said.
There is a conflict in appointing the CEO as a secretary in line with FIFA statute which however goes against the local regulation.
“Either the ministry has to amend and go with us or we need to temporarily go with the elected one. However, there is a clause in the regulation saying that in case of any dispute national bodies can go by the international bodies’ Constitution. If you take that clause we can appoint (secretary),” he said.
He denied a raft of criticism that council meetings were not held, the annual budget was not presented and the FSL was running on a deficit.
“Council is supposed to be convened every three months. We had one in Jaffna and at the next council meeting we had to ratify certain things. Council is an advisory committee. It is not a decision-making body. We have a small ExCo (executive committee) of 10 for that purpose. We physically meet or zoom. We make decisions collectively. It doesn’t need to be in one place. All decisions must be approved by the council,” he said.
On the failures to hold a meeting at the Special General Meeting one month after last year’s AGM, he said: “After one month, the whole country was closed. We have given it in writing and held it in December online. Everybody participated except Kalutara (league). The objections they raised were not accepted or valid,” he said.
The FSL president said a three-month budget was given for this year since the FIFA Congress was held on March 31 where the fund allocation for the year is decided.
“What if I plan something for the entire year and the money is not given to me? I am a very practical man. From April we will draw a budget until December,” he said, explaining that the Asia Football Confederation (AFC) has restricted funding to pay coaches’ salaries.
“The Budget for 2021 was already approved. There were no monthly accounts from January 2021 so they became annual accounts. There is no provision in the Constitution to give monthly accounts of income and expenditure. That is a traditional practice to know where we are,” he explained.
Shrugging off the Rs 197 million as operating expenses, he said he has every right to be Finance Committee chairman since he is the one who signs cheques as FSL president.
“If the president is signing the cheques and by the Constitution, if he is liable for everything legally in court if he is a guy who is supposed to bring money if the president is the only signatory accepted by Fifa to confirm for grants and liable to Fifa for the funds, what is wrong in the president being chairman of the finance committee,” asked Jaswar who has an MBA in management and marketing from New Buckinghamshire in the UK, and a PhD in talent management (Reading).
He cited instances in the past when the finance committee was a puppet and no one took responsibility when a fraud took place in the FSL.
“Why should the president go begging to get approval. If the president has a mandate that deems everything is checked and accurate and he is taking responsibility, if that cannot be taken by a committee that is under him that is a pathetic situation. Every cent I spend I am taking responsibility,” he said.
“We have a reserve of Rs 300 million. We are not in debt or borrowing. We are different from NGOs, a manufacturing or trading organization. We are an organization financially healthy not depending on any public or government or taxpayers’ money. We do our affairs correctly in accordance and compliance with FIFA. Everything is audited for compliance purposes. They ask whether you have complied. They don’t ask why you have spent 100 or 1,000 rupees. There are certain financial things you cannot disclose like for instance I can’t ask for your pay slip,” said Jaswar, who has worked in blue-chip companies in Sri Lanka such as John Keells Holdings and Softlogic Group.
He said FSL accounts are audited by three independent bodies – government auditors, AFC PriceWaterCooper House Indian office and Fifa external auditors Ernst & Young.
“What more transparency do you want? There is a structure. We have committees but we can bypass certain things if we have justification. When you can’t convene meetings and can’t discuss, then we call and say do this and when we have a physical meeting we minute this. We can’t go to each member (league) to make decisions. We can ask for opinions but you decide from the chair whether to do it or not. I take responsibility,” he said.
Jaswar says he has introduced a new system of governance even in conducting meetings.
“We cannot discuss anything outside the agenda. In the past, the practice was to talk about the sky and moon. Even in council, they have to write two weeks before we put in the agenda or keep room for discussion. Otherwise, meetings planned for two hours end up in five hours. I don’t want to practice that,” he said.
He wants to cultivate a new image of FSL by moving away from a tainted past.
“I came with new hope and new procedures. That doesn’t mean I have to follow the past. I am not going to follow the past. The past was corrupt, failed, and not consistent with international laws. So I am not going to do it. I will go with the Constitution but the practices with my corporate experience and my education. I will try to adopt the way Fifa is doing. That’s the higher authority,” said Jaswar who signed a ground-breaking agreement with the Saudi Arabia Football Association to get their expertise in various areas such as training the coaches, marketing promotional activities, technical and conditioning, referees, VAR, football management and technical direction, academies, and technical development, league development, game development, talent players development, women, youth, Futsal, beach soccer and rules and regulation.